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PREFACE

The Industrial History of Kolhapur is not very long

though Kolhapur* is reputed, for its small industry concentra-.

tion. In fact twenty five years ago it had no organised

factories except few engineering units, sugar mills, weav~,

ing and spinning mills. The pioneering efforts and fore­

sight of the former rulers of Kolhapur State and the spirit

of cooperation, enterprise and initiative among the people

have brought about phenomenal industrial development in

this area recently. The progress, however, during the last

two decades has not only been steady but also has been

fast and varied.

Sri Shahu Chhatrapati Mills - a textile unit, now a

Government of Maharashtra Undertaking is owned and managed

by the Maharashtra State Textile Corporation Ltd. It was

founded in 1906 under the aegis and pattern of Shri Shahu

Maharaja. 'The mills was affiliated to Kolhapur State in

1936 and the management was in the hands of James Finlay

& Company. It was continued till 1959 when the management

changed its hands from James Finlay to M/s. Budhagaon

Trading Company which was later known as M/s. G.L. Uatu and

Sons Pvt. Ltd. On 1st June, 1967 the management was

entrusted to the Maharashtra State Textile Corporation Ltd.,

on-agenc y basis, and from 1st April, 1976 the ownership

of the mills has been transferred to the MSTC Ltd., Bombay.

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When the celebrations of tricentenery of Sri

Shivaji Maharaja and the centenary of Sri Shahu Maharaja

were taken place in the year 1975-76, a study in

commemoration of Shri Shahu Maharaja in the mills was

initiated. Subsequently, with the active interest and

encouragement of the then executive officer of the mills,

Mr. Srinivasarao, a study of TChanging pattern of industrial

relations in Shri Shahu Chhatrapati Mills was taken-up.

Need and purpose of the Study :

/

On the oocassion of the opening conference of the

Centre for Industrial Relations of the University sf

Toronto in March 1966, Mr. David A More, the Director

General of IDO observed that ’the challenges to industrial

relations cannot only or even primarily, be considered as

challenges to structure. They are also challenges to the

functions and tine social purpose of the parties in the

industrial relations system.1 Many significant changes

in the organization and practices of industrial plants

are taking place every day and hence the problem of

industrial peace, continues to demand thought. The chief

aim of this study is to enquire into the nature of

Personnel, Management-Union relations in Shri Shahu

Chhatrapati Mills during the period 1968-1976. This

study, it is felt, would be useful in the context of the

imperative need for toning up the efficiency in the

working of the mills which is expected to play a crucial

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role in i/he years to come in view of the expansion programme,

the new outlook and objectives of labour policy laid down

by the National Government and serious criticisms levelled

against public sector undertakings in general for thej.r

failure in delivering the goods and in maintaining harmonious

industrial relations.

The purpose of the study, it may be emphasised, is

not fault finding, but to find out why certain deficiencies,

if any, have occured and they could have been avoided.

This naturally requires a lot of objective and positive

analysis of the problems, This enquiry, it is expected,

1
would be helpful in formulating future course of action

in the area of personnel management and industrial relations.

This will enable the four parties - Government, management,

employees and their unions - to know the causes underlying

the existing position, to understand and appreciate the

other party's attitudes and-thus promote conciliatory behavi­

our which is the•pre-requisite for the gruwth of healthy

industrial relations in any enterprise. The basic objective

of this study is to emphasis on the integration of goals

of individual employees and that of the organisation. The

data presented, the observations made and conclusions arrived

at, in this study are also expected to be useful for inter­

firm comparision not only in the case of other textile units

of^MSTC-but also in respect of other public sector under­

taking as well.
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It is true that Shri Shahu Chhatrapati Mills is

faced with many constraints like erratic flow of materials,

out-model machinery and equipment, lack of standard working

methods, and lack of planning and coordination. And the

management will have to take steps so as to introduce modern

facilities and equipment in the weaving, spinning and

Engineering departments, production planning and control

techniques, and norms and standards so as to evaluate the

performance of each department. But the success of these

techniques depends to a large extent on the attitude of

employees and Behaviour of their unions. Hence this study

is concerned with the evaluation of attitudes, behaviour

and performance of human factor in the Mills. An attempt

is made here to touch the highlights with broader perspec­

tive so that the many aspects of industrial relations

that'contribute for industrial harmony and higher produc­

tivity are brought out.

Many studies in industrial relations have been

t

undertaken by several researchers both in India and abroad

and most of them have been on the initiative of the Planning

Commission and the Union Ministry of Labour & Employment to

find out whether certain characteristics common to all

could be observed in units having good industrial relations

as against those with chronic conflicts . The studies

conducted in the field like 'Industrial Relations in India'

by Charles A Myers, 'Industrial Relations in Shipbuilding

Industry in Yishakhapatnam' by Prof. K.V. Sivayya and the

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case studies in the ! Tata Iron and Steel Company* and the
N i

’Indian Alluminiun Company’ have been some of the pioneer

studies.

The problem of industrial relations vary according

to economic and social environments. Besides, the Indian

labour is characterised by the heterogeneity of races,
religions, languages and customs.^ Because of this hete­

rogeneity of labour and the variations In the industrial

development at regional levels, the .problem of industrial
•%

relations do not present a common area of conflict attri­

butable to the same cause almost at all places. Therefore
‘there has always been the need to study the problem of

industrial relations in terms of economic and sociological

environments and of the composition and psychological needs

of the management and 'labour force through the case studies.

Having been taken over by MS1C many developments have taken

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place in Shri'Shahu Chhatrapati Mills. It is felt there­

fore, that it would be interesting as well as useful to

enquire further into the causes and consequences of these

developments and their over all effect .on industrial rela­

tions in Shrl Shahu Chhatrapati Mills. An attempt has been

made to trace the variety of factors with in a specific

unit as an integrated whole describing inter-relationships

of factors and of processes.